Casing wedge



Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

ifi'i 1f-z :ai: i "is ,11 'i i? vii: if" fifal f, .'x f ,CHSTER A MieiA QF weeemfiliemeeiiiieassieme@ ONE-HALF To Y CHARLES' R. BUTLER, oF LONG BEACH; CALi'FoRNIA.

. Mv invention relates to easing wedges of the typenintended tobe put down into a cas iiifgland' manipulated to hold one sectionof a wellpasig while .another section is being unseifewd tli'e'refroi'n, ItV is necessary at tinies in putting well casingy downiiito a weiland cii'ii'c'ting it up section 'to section, to remove a sectionl for the purpose of cutting'it. Frequently it is difficult to disconii'eet the particular section to be removed fii the next section, orto disconnect the se'ctiiwlii'ch isto be reineved. from the couplingjwhich connects it to the next section, for it is desirable toy leave the .coupling on rthe upper'eiid'of thesection remaining in the well and from which the section 'to be ffnved is uiieere'wed: l 1' the salientobjzectslof my invention aetolpro'vide device which,` can be put down` into a welleasing and when it reachesA tliejitlat which the disciiection islto be i'i'i'adefit caribe manipulated so as 'to interlock tothe ceiiplingorztlie upper eiid of the lower section of casing' iii suchfa Way that it can be held whilel the upper section is unsc"`ewed toprovide a`device of; simple cont tidii with means for adapting it to eas- "i'igsi of. vsifrioiis' siies, [thus making a device capable of 4use in morethan one size of cas-V iiigf to' provide 'in' a device of the character referred to means for `causing the release of the holding or gripp'ngj aw when the device lias'relied the joint," whereby said device interlock with thelower section of Casing Ihold it the couplingfag'jainst turning whiletheupper section is being remvd t0' provide' meas fc releasing! the tiipping jaw even though the two sections of casing are'screwed into'lthe coupling until their ends4 meet-5:, in general, to provide siiiipleujpractical andeconoinical fiig `Vwedge l.which can be used in various ses, @i @singsc f Y In order to fully enplaiiiinyfinventioii, I Lliavehill strated one einbodimentthereof on i oiiipaiiying'lsheet'of drawings for deviireasiii'gi e,

the

'i tiveY urposes. which Igwill 'now del is) al iigitiidinal sectional view of ASaid.dfevice being also shown loneiwdmal; Section, s

ln' the drawingsf i El?" ith my .device shown` therein,-

Figure 2 is a side elevationof my device,

ing 3;

`Figurev 3 is afront viewoftlie. saine structure gr einbodiinentof theinvention.y .i

Figure 4 'isa cross Sectional yview at" the position of line of Fig. 1,.but showing the device in a largercasing than is Shownin Fig". l and showing the extension in use for adapting the devicet for larger- Casin-gs and Figure 5 isa cross sectional view taken on line-,5'- 5 of Fig. l.. f

Referring novi'n detail tothedrawings,

lY designates an upper section of casingwwhich it isdesired to unscrew. from thecoiiplinlg'f, connecting it Ywith aV lower sect-ion of cas-V i Thedevice shown for-'illustrative' and descriptivepurposes, comprises a body,4i

having a shanky for Connecting itto a'- drill easing, 5, as :by means ofacupli'ng 6. The

lower end of said body is shown of tapering forin,gas at 4a, with la ydove-tail fcliannel formed in its facefas indicated at 'Z Near f the upper end and nea'itlie lower 'end ofsaid channel are two stop screwsfas 8,18. Said body is also'provided with a hole, 9, for the purpose of attaching theret a bodyeiiteii-V sion', designated l0, andn shown' in Fig. l, and also in Fig'. 2, said bodyeitensionf being coi`iiiec'ted by inea/iisY of` a bolt, 1l, and having they flaring wing ,portions-g 10a, lOa, wliichV bear against the inside, ofthe lcasing C, when said device is usedy inY a larger casing'than shown iii Figs'. llan'd Body extensionsof various'ksizescan be used withthe device, as willbe clearlyunderstood fromv the showing and thisnefed not be furtherdescribed,

I will neit describe the wedge,-or gripping element" and vindicate how Vit functions. 'llli'is coinprisesfa body l2, y tailinglegtensioii, 12a, adopted lo, lit and Aslide inlthedovetailfchaiinel 7, forinediiitlie face ofthebody 4,', as clearly indicatedlii'r Figs. l,v

4,-, 5. Said is?provided.with:v a bore-,5.13, with@ Channel-Way et 01161 Sie@ thereof,- designatedulk A latch element,

.having the AIiicriiirited';in saidL hore`,.l3';sa`id latch element havinggthe stud,

14% Slidi'en ,th fharmlway; te Prevent elle.12i' h-.e1ei1e1t free'k turning as will be clear from the rdrawing; The outer endof Se@ iafeiemefli isi primed; wiiifih pering latch end, 14",' thetaper being up so 2 and 3,

i place where it is to be released.

that when said device is moved upwardly and said latch element is out, it will not catch. This latch element is intended to be held in by the side of the casing as the device is let down .in the casing until it comes to the space between the ends of the casing, in the coupling, as shown, whereupon it is moved out into said space by its spring, in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 5.

The outer face of the wedge or gripping element 12, is rounded to conform to the inside of a well casing, and is ilirovided with the teeth, 12, arranged circuinferentially thereof, as indicated in Fig. 4, whereby said teeth bite into the casing when an attempt is made to turn the device or the casing in one direction,` as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4, and prevent such turning. Said wedge element 12 is also Aprovided with `a series of teeth ar fanged to bite into the inside ot the well casingon the downward movement of i said wedge element, thus holding it from moving downwardl)7 after it is in engagement with the casing and should hold its place. These teeth are shown at 12, Figs. 2 and 3, and arranged at the upper ends of the other teeth, 12", as shown.

In the face of the body 4, is also provided `a transverse channel, 16, in which can be placed a small piece of wood, 17, as shown in or the purpose of holding the wedge element 12, down until the device has been let down into the well casing `to the Wood is used for this for the reason that when the device has reached its place of operation and the wedge element 12 has engaged with the i well casing, said piece of wood can be cheered ofi' as the body 4 is moved downwardly under pressure to force the wedge element into the casing for holding the same.

It plppehts the wedge element from moving i llp't'dirdly on the tapering face of the body 4 until the device has been let down the proper distance into the casing.

' In Figs. 2 and 3. I have shown the wedge element 12, providedin its upper end with an eye-bolt, 1S. to which is attached a cable, l

19, extending to the top of the well.` This is provided for use when the casing sections are screwed together in a coupling so close that no space in left between thomeeting ends of the casing, within the coupling. The .spring latch tft is then removed and thelcable is used to hold the wedge element 12 when `itreaches the upper end ofthe lower casing while the body4 is moved downwardly,` `into the` thus forcing the wedge clement12 casing and gripping the `same suiliciently that it canwbe held while the upper casing 1 is unscrewed from the coupling 2. y It will be understood that the wedging action in the upper end of the lower casing 3, Within the coupling, 2, also crowds the end of the casing 3 in such a manner that it binds more "outer face adapted `in combination, a body,a

tirnily in the coupling and said coupling is held against turning while the upper casingl is turned and disconnected from the coupling. When the body member 4 is pulled upwardly, it will be clear that theV wedge element is released and as it moves down `ou the tapered endof the bodv,` it is free to move out of the casing with the body 4, the stop screw 8 preventing it from disconnection from the lower end of the body 4.

Thus I have provided a simple, practical and etlicient casing wedge, and while I have shown and described in detail one structure which embodies the invention, I am aware that many cha ngescan be made in the details without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not, therefore, limit the in- L `adapted to fit the inside of aucasingat the opposite side thereof, stopfelementsto limit therelative movement of said gripping element on said body member, and a spring pressed plunger set insaid gripping element and adapted to be pressed outwardly against the side ot said casing to engage with the upper end of acasing section to hold said gripping element, whereupon the movement `ot said drill casing and said body downl wardly wedges said body and said gripping element in said casing, for the purpose referred to.

2. In a` device of the character referred to,

in combination, be connected to a body member adapted to the end` `of a drill casing,

said body member having one face adapted to tit the inside of a well casingand its other face tapering, a gripping clement having its to lit the inside of a well, casing and` its other l'ace tapering, intcrtitting, sliding connecting means between, the.

tapering faces of said bodyi member and said gripping element, a spring pressed plunger set .in said gripping element and normally moved outwardly endwise to engage the upper end of a well casing to stop said grip-w` ping element, and means for temporarily holding said body member and said gripping element together while being placed down in a well casing, substantially as described.

3L In ay deviceof the character referred to, wedge element thereon and movable relativethereto, body extension means for adapting said body to lll casings of diierent diameters, and means carried by said wedge element `for holding it during a relative movement of saidbody, whereby to force said wedge element into biting engagement with said casino.

4. In a device of the character referred to, in combination, a body having a tapering portion, a wedge element moving thereon and connected therewith, a body extension mem,- ber detachablyy connected with said body to ada-pt it to larger casing, means carried by said wedge element and adapted t0 interlock with said well casing whereby said wedge element is stopped and said body moves relativev thereto and forces said wedge element into biting engagement with said casing.

5. In a easing wedge, in combination, a

body having a tapering portion provided with a dove-tail channel therein, a. wedge element having an interfitting part and sliding on vsaid tapering portion, a spring latch element carried by said Wedging element and 'adapted Yto catch on the well easing into which said Ldevice is lowered and to hold said wedge element whereby said body moves relative thereto and forces said wedge element outwardly into biting engagement with said casing', and body extension means for adapting said device for different sizes of casing.

Signed at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 6th day of January, 1925.

CHESTER A. inisMUssEN.` 

